Bradley Involved in a New Incident
ST. LOUIS — Major league officials plan to review a confrontation in which Dodger outfielder Milton Bradley called a Los Angeles Times reporter an “Uncle Tom” in the middle of a tense interview Wednesday, provoking an angry response by the writer, who was then escorted out of the clubhouse by other players.
Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of Major League Baseball, said league officials had yet to determine whether an investigation would be required.
“We’d like to gather some information before we decide how to proceed,” Alderson said Wednesday.
Bradley rejoined the Dodgers for Tuesday’s playoff opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, after serving a five-game suspension for throwing a bottle into the stands at Dodger Stadium and promising to seek anger management counseling. After Wednesday’s workout, Times staff writer Jason Reid asked Bradley whether fans in right field heckled him during Game 1.
According to eyewitness accounts and Reid’s tape recording, Bradley declined to discuss the subject and started to walk away. As other reporters gathered, Bradley criticized media members for “bad-mouthing” him in their stories.
Bradley and Reid -- both black -- subsequently spoke directly to each other, even as Dodger publicist John Olguin tried to separate the two.
“You’re an Uncle Tom. You’re a sellout,” Bradley said, according to the tape.
As the discussion grew more heated, Bradley said, “Where’s a bottle at?” and Reid said, “You’re going to throw a bottle at me now, Milton?”
At that point, several players intervened, getting Reid away from Bradley and out of the clubhouse.
The Dodgers investigated the incident, according to executive vice president Lon Rosen, by speaking with team personnel and media members present.
Rosen said the Dodgers hope that Bradley and Reid can meet today and resolve their differences.
“Ultimately, this is an issue that needs to be settled between the two individuals, and we will work with them toward that end,” Rosen said in a statement.
“We are terribly unhappy with how and why this happened,” Times sports editor Bill Dwyre said in a statement.
“We back our reporter from every angle. We also agree with the Dodgers in the sense that this is something that can be, and will be, worked out between these two people.”
The Dodgers acquired Bradley in April, after the Cleveland Indians vowed to trade him after a confrontation with Manager Eric Wedge. Bradley batted .267 with 19 home runs for the Dodgers, in a season in which he was ejected four times and served two suspensions, including one for four games after he protested an ejection by throwing a bag of balls onto the field.
